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UK: Tasers for firearms officers

01 November 2004

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Within weeks of the Commissioner of the Metropolitan police, John Stevens, calling for the police use of the Taser to be expanded the government announced in September that electronic stun guns are to be issued to police firearms officers in England and Wales. The former Home Secretary, David Blunkett, approved the move following a pilot study in which five UK forces tested the weapon (see Statewatch vol. 13 no. 2). His decision followed on from a wave of criticism over their use as weapons of torture (Amnesty has documented this use in 87 countries, including three EU nations) and fears for their general safety. At the end of November Amnesty International produced a report, USA/Canada: pattern of Abuse Suspend use of taser guns, which says that "More than 70 people in the USA and Canada have died since 2001, after being electro-shocked with taser guns." (see Statewatch vol. 14, nos. 3/4)

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